3+Screen+Presentations


 * 3 Screen Presentations **

This wiki explains two different programs that can be used to create 3 screen presentations, advantages and disadvantages to both, how to create 3 screen presentations in each program, tips for slide development as well as general presentation advice.

Table of Contents __ Microsoft PowerPoint __ __ Creating a 3 Screen Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation __ __ Adobe InDesign __ __ Creating a 3 screen Adobe InDesign Presentation __ __ Tips for Slide Development __ __ General Presentation Advice __ __ Presentation Organization __ __ Locations for Presenting Using 3 Screens __

PowerPoint and InDesign have both advantages and disadvantages. When it comes down to making a decision between the two, realize that either one is able to produce a clean, visually stimulating, professional 3 screen presentation.

__ Microsoft PowerPoint __

Advantages:
 * Many students are proficient with this program, so any group member may work on the presentation which may be crucial when in a time crunch. Even if someone has never used this program, it is relatively straightforward.
 * Easy to create clean transitions

Disadvantages:
 * Presentations made may look similar to other presentations due to lack of the customization that InDesign provides.

__ Creating a 3 Screen PowerPoint Presentation __
 * You can create a 3 screen presentation by simply creating a new presentation and then changing the Page Setup by multiplying the x dimension by 3. When you go into presentation mode, the presentation will then be presented across the 3 screens.
 * If you have multiple files that are linked to your PowerPoint presentation, make sure you use the ‘File - Package for CD…’ to move it to your folder on the ICon Console. You do not need to write in onto a CD, but you can instead place it in a network folder. This will maintain the links between your files. Make sure you check the presentation links in the ICon Lab after you move the files.
 * Inside the "Example Presentation" folder at O:\3-Screen Presentation Info you'll find two presentations, one in single-screen format, and the other in three-screen format. Feel free to view each and you'll find benefiting ways of giving three-screen presentations.

__ Adobe InDesign __

Advantages:
 * Flexible master pages. You can do essentially anything you want in terms of image placement and alteration with this program. The final product will look very professional if done correctly.
 * Integration with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop
 * Clean, attractive graphics

Disadvantages:
 * Greater learning curve, may take longer to create the finished product.
 * Transitions aren’t as easy to create as in PowerPoint.

__ Creating a 3 Screen Adobe InDesign Presentation __
 * Create a new document. Select custom page size, and multiply the width by 3 to ensure it will fit perfectly on the 3 screen setup.
 * Here you can also select landscape or portrait orientation, the number of columns, as well as top and bottom margins.
 * When finished with the presentation, export the document as a PDF.
 * To play the presentation, open the PDF and go to View, then Full Screen Mode.

__ Tips for Slide Development __
 * The size of your presentation will be large on the screens. Therefore, you may be able to use scales that seem small on a typical monitor. But, please make sure you experiment with the display screens to verify that it is easy for all viewers to read text on your slides.
 * It can be difficult from certain locations to see the bottom of the screen due to the audience being blocked by people in front of them. Therefore, avoid placing critical information at the bottom of your presentation slides.
 * If you use multiple screens, make sure that your presentation is not so busy that you detract from the main points of your presentation. Remember that people in the front will need to look around to see information if presented on all three screens.
 * Note that when you print your slides, it will be difficult to obtain a good resolution on the slides.
 * Avoid placing content across the three screens that may look unusual if not precisely aligned. For example, avoid using backgrounds with straight lines that cross the intersection of the screens. The screens are rarely perfectly aligned so you will notice if straight lines or other specific content is crossing the intersection of the screens.

__ General Presentation Advice __
 * Test your presentation in the room you will be presenting before giving the presentation. Many times the presentation will look different on your computer screen than on a larger 3 screen setup. Possible issues may include color and resolution differences.
 * Save your presentation in multiple locations so that if one fails you will still be able to easily access it.
 * If possible, compress the size of your presentation without losing quality of your images to ensure that the presentation runs smoothly on the day of your presentation.
 * Practice your presentation in front of an audience before the actual presentation. A second opinion will most likely expose issues and address concerns that may not have been previously noticed

__ Presentation Organization __
 * Determine before creating the presentation how you want to handle group movement. One suggestion is to leave a blank space on one or two slides at all times so that you can stand in front of the presentation without obscuring the view of critical information on the slides.
 * Tease your audience by providing them an early image of your design without going into too much detail. This, instead of your process leading up to final design decisions will keep the audience interested.
 * Structure the presentation logically so it is easy for your audience to follow, yet still creatively to hold their interest.

__ Locations for Presenting Using 3 Screens __
 * ICon Lab - 306 Engineering Unit C
 * Immersive Environments Lab (Stuckeman Family Building)
 * 302 Engineering Unit B